Calm Before the Storm
by bookworm-gurl
Summary: Love on the high seas & Umbrella...we all know this will end well...hopefully!
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note:** Another Alice and Claire fluff for my readers and reviewers to enjoy. I know it has been awhile since I have posted on here but I have some ideas flowing and I also recently made some minor changes to "Secret & Flies" in which I am planning on a sequel now that I re-read what I wrote and noticed I left some cliff hangers...

I do not own the characters but a girl can always dream…

**This is a bit of a taste for my continuation of "Secret & Flies" to which many people loved on here...**

BoOkwOrM-gUrl

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**Calm Before the Storm…**

Claire sat at the edge of her bed. Her body was heaving heavily, gasping for air. She was laying on her back in the bed to her stateroom aboard the Arcadia. The stale air of the room was making her throat dry and parched as she licked her chapped lips. Her red hair was drenched in sweat and plastered to her clammy forehead. Her body was shaking uncontrollably as she stared wide-eyed into the dark abyss of the room. It was the third time this week she had experienced the same dream, or more of a nightmare. She was alone in the small, metallic bunker of the Arcadia. Maybe one day she would no longer be alone, maybe someday her lover would return to her, just as promised…just like a fairy tale.

With what the world has become, people resorting to their animalistic and survival instincts in order to live one more day among the undead, a fairy tale was having a day like the world used to be. A horror movie would be the equivalent to a fairy tale in these times and usually in those, the main hero and heroine dies. That concept alone did not put much faith in Claire being reunited with her one true love – Alice.

Hence, the nightmares. Imagining Alice within her reach, their fingers almost touching, their eyes locked deep into each others. Their souls however, were being ripped apart from one another once again, the whole scene going red with rage and blood, lots and lots of blood. There was no real defining thing that keeps tearing Alice from Claire's open and inviting arms. The figure was always concealed by a bright, blinding light and it was over just as fast as it had begun. Claire however, had a theory to who it was…

Umbrella.

The vain in everyone who was fortunate to have lived this longs existence. They were the ones responsible for the eradication of the human race and the destruction of modern society. They created the bio-weapons, the Axmen, the Lickers and the undead that ravage the wastelands of planet earth. Those are the things that seek and destroy what is left of a previous life, a life that was perfection, a utopia, in comparison to the hell that now ravaged the earth. Even though Claire could not put a face or a name to Alice's kidnapper she knew in her hear it was Umbrella. They were the ones orchestrating everything so far, why not infect her dreams as well. The fact that it was possibly them also made her nightmares not only more fearful, but also, more believable.

Claire stood from her bed and walked across the cold, hard floor to the lavatory attached to her room. She was the leader of the convoy of survivors, about one hundred in total, and she was granted one of the larger rooms as her living quarters. Her brother, Chris, was second in command and slept in the room adjacent to her's with his newly found lover, Jill Valentine. It took a lot of warming up for Claire to become accustomed to Jill being a member of their team. It was not long ago that she was controlled under Umbrella, but Alice was the one that made her seen Jill differently. Now, she and Chris are an item, shacking up together in the room beside her while Claire hopelessly awaits the return of her own lover.

K-Mart, a young, bubbly teen that had stayed with Claire since the Nevada desert slept in the quarters across the hall with her own roommate, Angela Ashford. She was the lone survivor of a group calling out in response to their emergency broadcast they play from the ship when they are close to land. She and K-Mart were around the same age and had taken a liking to one another. Claire was glad the teen had someone else her own age to hang around with; she was kind of tired of having her as a shadow any longer. Luther, the final member of the core group that was leading these survivors to safety slept down the hall. They were the only members aboard the Arcadia that had private quarters. Everyone else was one level down and shared a room of four to five people. To previous world standards this would seem cruel and unjust but, now that the world was over people were happy with anything that was far away from the undead that ravaged the earth.

Claire turned on the single, florescent bulb to the small bathroom that was no larger than a coat closet. She ran the water in the sink as she splashed the cold water on her flushed cheeks. The light began to flicker over the sink signaling the bulb needed to be replaced soon. She would add light bulbs to her shopping list of supplies that needed to be salvaged at their next port which they were approaching in the next two days. It would be the Northern tip of Brazil, if no unexpected surprises were to appear on the horizon. She really had no idea where to take this freighter full of what could possibly be the remainder of the human population. The only thinking she knew was that the longer they kept moving the harder it would be for Umbrella to find them. It also however, meant less chance to see Alice again.

She studied her appearance in the mirror as the cold water dripped from her face. Her green eyes that once shone with adventure and intrigue were now dark and hollow. Bags, showing her sleepless nights caved into her already sunken complexion. Her skin was pale and her red hair had even gone dull and bleak. To Claire she looked like a disaster, one step away from being an undead. However, to the rest of the convoy she was their leader, the one to take them to safety and salvation wherever that might be. She was literally their only hope. Claire sighed, wiping her face on a nearby town and shutting off the bathroom light, surrounding herself in darkness once more.

Claire shuffled back to bed once more when the hair on the back of her neck began to rise. She was no longer alone in her room. Claire stood perfectly still, her back to her stateroom door. She knew that right in front of her was a small armoire where she had a pistol. Carefully she reached out, opening the door slowly and wrapping her hands around the rough grip of a 9mm semi automatic pistol.

"Whose there?" Claire called out, bringing the gun closer to her but still not turning around. "I will only warn you once more, show yourself." She flicked off the safety as her room was coated in light.

Claire spun around, ready to fire, to blow their brains sky high if need be but it was far from what was needed. She remained poised, her hands trembling as she tried to focus on the figure in front of her. "A-Alice?" she stuttered and dropped the gun as it fell to the floor with a clatter. Her eyes were welling with tears as the blonde became a blurry figure in front of her.

"Claire, oh thank God." Alice replied lunging for the redhead locking her in a tight embrace, proving all of this was real.

Claire began to cry as Alice soother her, stroking her hair and whispering sentiments in her ear. The love they had for one another did not change since being separated almost a month ago. Their love for each other, if another had grown stronger with each passing day they were apart. Alice lifted Claire's head from her should to look into the green eyes she been dreaming about every night since they became separated. She kissed Claire on the lips, wanting to feel how good it was for the past thirty days. Claire returned, wanting to feel whole, make it more than just innocent kisses.

"Alice how, how did-" Claire tried to ask but she was silenced by a gentle finger to her lips.

"I will explain everything when we have time." Alice replied, caressing Claire's cheek watching her get lost in the touch.

"Are we in danger?"

"Yes, it won't be long until they have tracked me to this ship. We need to get everyone assembled and prepared for the worst. Umbrella will not go down without a fight."

Claire gritted her teeth at the word _Umbrella_ being uttered from her lover's lips. She knew they had something to do with all of this, nothing ever happens in this world without Umbrella having their filthy paws in it. "Is that why you came back? To save us?" Claire asked.

"No Claire, I came back to be with you, this past month, it has been torture, we are stronger together. We can end this, I know we can." Alice stated brushing away a few strands of hair that fell in front of Claire's face. "I believe in us."

"I've been so worried about you, since we've been apart I have been miserable, and not the great leader these survivors are looking for. I've made reckless mistakes and losing my will to keep going, to keep fighting the boogeyman and instead just let the nightmare consume me." Claire stated frowning and breaking her eyes away from Alice, ashamed of giving up on her, on their relationship and more importantly herself.

"Hey, we can get through this. I hope you enjoyed your time as just a convoy while it lasted."

Claire smiled and kissed Alice again, "The calm before the storm right?"

Alice nodded, "Right, my love."

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..I think this is going to be the first chapter int eh sequel to "Secrets and Flies", please let me know...I know there is the question of where Alice has been and stuff but do not fear everything will be answered in due time. 

Please R/R & I will return the favour.

T.B.C

B


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note:** Another Alice and Claire fluff for my readers and reviewers to enjoy. I know it has been awhile since I have posted on here but I have some ideas flowing and I also recently made some minor changes to "Secret & Flies" in which I am planning on a sequel now that I re-read what I wrote and noticed I left some cliff hangers...

I do not own the characters but a girl can always dream…

**This is a bit of a taste for my continuation of "Secret & Flies" to which many people loved on here...**

**Okay, okay! I know, it has been a lot longer than I anticipated for me to add another chapter to this story but over the past week a lot has gone on in my personal life that I had to take a step back from everything, including writing this awesome story for my readers. I hope you all enjoy and have been waiting with anticipation for what's in store...**

**FYI, I have done chapter outlines for the next six chapters! So, there is much more to come! Enjoy and please R/R if you feel the need arise **

BoOkwOrM-gUrl

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**Chapter Two**

Claire jolted awake, wondering if everything that had happened last night was just a figment of her imagination. It felt quite real, seeing Alice once again, feeling her fingers caress her cheek and her lips pressed against her own dry, chapped ones. It would be a disappointment if she just had a very active and realistic dream but, overall not that surprising. She craned her head, for all she stared at when her blue eyes opened wide I panic was the opening to her bathroom. She noticed a large fluff of blonde hair matted to the pillow beside her and a smile grew upon her lips. Alice was really here and back with her in the once place she missed her the most; bed. Claire flipped over to her other side, the covers tugging against her skin and that was when she realized she was naked under the cotton fabric. Apparently she and Alice did more than just kiss and make up in bed last night. She snaked her hand around Alice's abdomen, feeling how warm and soft her skin was. She could feel her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest as her eyes were still closed, succumbed to a deep and probably well need, sleep.

Claire kissed the nape of her neck, hearing Alice moan as she stirred under the covers but still did not open her beautiful hazel eyes to her lover. She kissed her again, this time under her ear lobe, knowing that was her sweet spot; still nothing. She pressed her body against Alice's raising her arm that was on her abdomen up to her chest as she nipped the bottom of Alice's ear lobe in a playful and of course, sexual demeanor.

"Hmm, I-I'm awake." Alice mumbled under her breath as she let out a deep sigh. Claire giggled as she repeated the same process again, this time getting more of a reaction.

Alice flipped over, facing Claire, biting her bottom lip as her eyes read seduction. She reached out and caressed her cheek, watching as the red head got lost in her touch. She then yanked her by the neck, pulling her in for a seductive kiss, as both of them moaned. Their eyes closing and their minds opening to a world of possibilities that could potentially happen in this bed over the course of the next few hours. However, a knock, and the opening of the cabin door interrupted their fantasy love land...

"Claire I-" Chris started to say when he poked his head in and noticed that his sister was no longer alone in bed. Beyond that she was naked with another person in her bed. "Oh Jesus, Claire I-I'm sorry." He stuttered covering his eyes with his hand not wanting the images of his baby sister naked engrained in his thoughts.

"We'll be to the bridge in five minutes. Gather the rest of them." Claire replied watching her brother's complexion go beat red with embarrassment as he nodded his head and vacated the room just as abruptly as he made an appearance.

Alice laughed, sitting up in the bed and running her fingers through her shortened blonde hair. She still could not believe that she was able to make it back to the Arcadia, let alone fall back into place with Claire as if she never left in the first place. So much needed to be discussed with the leaders on the ship, and there was so little time for the people to get prepared and the plans to be made. She knew that Umbrella would be tracking her movements, it was no surprise that when they show up it will be for blood and no one will be safe.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Claire asked seeing the concern cloud her lover's eyes as she sat up in bed, resting her arm around Alice's shoulders. Her body was beautiful, but it was also a road map of the pain, torture and experiments that were laid upon her since the outbreak of the T-virus.

"They're coming Claire." Alice stated, breaking her eyes from the bed and looking at the woman beside her. "When they get here, everyone is fair game. They will stop at nothing to bring us down, to illuminate any resistance that is in their path."

"We'll fight back, we're strong, we've defeated them before, we can do it again."

"I-I'm not so sure. They have gotten stronger, made newer, deadlier, bio-weapons to unleash against the remaining human population. Their hunt for curing the infection is well over, now it is just about eradicating anything and everyone that is against them."

Claire got up out of the bed, reaching for her discarded clothes that were strewn across the stateroom, turning her back to Alice. She did not want to argue with her, but that has always been the way Claire has looked at their battles with Umbrella. This stopped being about saving the human race many years ago, back when she was in the Nevada desert, when Umbrella purposely unleashed those mutated, undead experiments on them in Las Vegas; that was when she knew they were out for blood. Claire pulled her tank top over her head, taking a deep breath and then asking the one thing she hoped Alice could give her a straight answer about.

"Where have you been for the past thirty-six days, Alice?" She asked standing as she pulled up her cargo pants but not turning back, not until she got some type of answer.

"That is what everyone on this ship wants to know about." Alice replied as she herself began to get dressed. "But, it is something that none of you are prepared to handle."

"Not even me? The woman who knows all your secrets, the woman who loves you, waited for you and prayed that someday you would return to us? Do you not trust me?"

"It's not about trust Claire, or even love. It's about survival."

Claire turned around, her eyes a fiery blaze. "What do you think all of us on the Arcadia have been doing for the past fifteen months, or the Nevada desert, Raccoon City, even the jungles of Mexico. That's the only thing that is keeping us all here and alive, survival." She stalked around the bed and grabbed Alice's wrist, spinning her around and forcing her to stare at her, no matter how hard it was. "You don't want to tell me because you are afraid to lose me."

Alice was baffled by that rationale. If there was one thing in this world she was certain of, it was the fact that she would never lose Claire, and if she did, then she would do everything in her power to win her back. "I know I won't lose you, we will never lose each other, but Umbrella does not care about any of that, what they care about is control, power and destruction. You have to be prepared to fight an emotionless enemy but becoming like them, savage, deadly and…inhuman." Alice explained, breaking her grasp and went to leave the state room. She turned back and looked at Claire, "You want to know where I went Claire. I went to go become the one and only thing I could think of to defeat Umbrella."

"W-what's that?" Claire asked; her back still to Alice. sorrow filling her eyes.

"_Project Alice_." She replied and left, heading towards the bridge.

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**As you can tell I am not following the plot to any of the RE Movies for this story either just using the characters, which I think is more fun in the long run because then you can make it however you want! Anyways...I want to hear people's thoughts/feelings/opinions on Alice becoming _Project Alice_ once more!**

T.B.C

B


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note:** Another Alice and Claire fluff for my readers and reviewers to enjoy. I know it has been awhile since I have posted on here but I have some ideas flowing and I also recently made some minor changes to "Secret & Flies" in which I am planning on a sequel now that I re-read what I wrote and noticed I left some cliff hangers...

I do not own the characters but a girl can always dream…

**This is a bit of a taste for my continuation of "Secret & Flies" to which many people loved on here...**

**Another chapter for my loyal fans...I am forwarning you now it is probably going to be a bit before the next chapter is up, I want to make sure I get all the details to my satisfaction...I might tackle it this week but who knows. For now, you are going to just have to sit back and stew my little ones...I promise the wait will be worth it!**

BoOkwOrM-gUrl

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**Chapter Three**

Alice followed Claire down the metallic causeway of the ship towards the bridge. They were above the rest of the passengers, none of which frequented the top deck. The only time was in case of emergency, one that needed one of their attention. This divide between the core group and the rest of the passengers worked to Alice's advantage. It was fewer people that would be whispering about her clear triumphant return and fewer people she would have to look at stare into their hollow eyes and see how afraid they are of her and what she, herself represents. Claire and she had barely said two words to one another since leaving the stateroom and that was to be expected. Alice could remember when she used to have nightmares aboard this ship, when Claire would tell her that she needed to know what was going on inside of her head to make them stop. It was a mistake to tell her the truth back then for now, when she has become the one thing she hated the most since her employment with Umbrella, Claire could not even look her in the eye. Alice trusted that nothing would be said about this turn of developments to the rest of the group for now, the last thing they needed was to start a panic. Or, anymore of a panic that was already going to ensue when word Umbrella was knocking on their door once more spread across the ship. She remembered vividly what happened when passengers suspected before she was infected and the consequences that followed. If it was now known that she actually was, chaos would ensue. Right now, they all needed to work together; no matter what.

Claire turned down the adjacent hallway and knocked three times on the metal door to the bridge. They waited while it slowly opened and Chris's blue eyes came into view. He was standing guard, a smile on his face trying to mask the embarrassment for what happened before. When he locked eyes with Alice he knew something was wrong, there was something…different about her. He couldn't quite place it exactly but he knew better than to ask outright. For now he just needed to let the curiosity get the better of him and wait for Alice to open up, for once in her life.

Sitting around the table in the middle of the room are the only people left in this world Alice would trust with her life. As expected K-Mart came rushing towards her a smile across her lips and her blonde hair bouncing with every step she took. She wrapped her arms around Alice and squeezed as hard as she could, expressing how grateful she was to have her back and how thankful she was to know she would be standing at her side once more if shit was going to hit the fan.

"We knew you would come back." K-mart breathed into Alice's ear as she let go of the older blonde and stepped back, giving her space.

Alice scanned the room going from one person to the next and trying to remember exactly why she left in the first place. Alice started with her faithful combatant and recently cooperative friend Jill Valentine who was sitting cross-legged in cargo pants and a tank top, different attire from the purple spandex jumpsuit she was sporting the last time she saw her. Her eyes read curiosity as her smile was kind and warm, glad that she was back with them and not succumbed to Umbrella's death grip. She still had her long blonde hair that Alice would need to get used too but it was obvious that her rugged, zombie killing personality still broke through the surface. Beside Jill was Luther West, bad ass celebrity that had no trouble killing those undead with his bare hands if need be. Next was the young and sweet Angela Ashford. She had changed so much since Raccoon City, where she was just a little girl, hiding in her school. Now she was a strong, brave, eighteen year old goddess with flowing red hair and piercing green eyes. Her smile radiated the room and reminded Alice of what innocence was once running around this world.

K-Mart had returned to her seat beside Angela still as excited as a kid on Christmas morning that Alice had returned to them. Finally, but not least by any means Chris Redfield claimed the seat on the other side of the table. His eyes adverted from Alice to Jill and it was obvious they were infatuated with one another. He still had his buzz cut hair and dressed in blue prison inmate pants that he had from their LA days and a tight-fitting black t-shirt. It was so tight that you could see the muscles of his arms ripple under the fabric. You could also cut the love tension in the air with a butter knife between him and Jill. If Alice could recall correctly they were caught red-handed by the young teen girls on the same night that she and Claire had decided to take a moonlight date in the life boat. That was four days before she left the Arcadia on her own personal vendetta.

Alice looked behind her and noticed that Claire remained standing, her back against the door to the bridge that was now locked and her eyes broke from her's and adverted to the floor. It was going to take a while for Alice to regain Claire's trust, but in the mean time she needed to know that they were going to fight side by side with Umbrella closing in on them fast.

"I know you must all have lots of questions about where I have been the past thirty-six days and I promise you, I will answer them in due time. However, time is very precious to us at the moment and if I know you all the way I think I do, you will trust me and do as I say without hesitation." Alice stated as she looked from one person to the next, waiting for an objection.

Everyone remained silent.

Alice smiled giving them a curt nod, "Good. Umbrella is going to come here probably within the next forty-eight hours at the most. They have been tracking me ever since I left their facility in Moscow, Russia. They have newer bio-weapons, a bigger army and no humanity left in their bones whatsoever. When they attack they are going to shoot to kill, they are done with experiments, done with salvation, all they want is world dominance and the elimination of any threat that stands in their way. Mainly, us" Alice explained as she circled the table, resting her hand on Angela's shoulder for reassurance, feeling how tense she was under the fabric of her shirt.

"We should get everyone ready." Chris piped up. He had a million questions floating through his brain, what happened to her? What was in Moscow, Russia? Did she bring Umbrella here? But instead he blindly followed this woman because she had never put any of them aboard this ship in harm's way before and freed and trust him enough to get them out of LA.

"How many weapons do we have?" Claire asked, directing her question to Jill since she was the last one on inventory duty.

"About eighty assault rifles and probably enough ammo for at least half of them." She responded with a sigh knowing that was not going to be enough. "Plus, our own personal weapons and ammo"

"How many people aboard this ship know how to fire a weapon?" Alice asked.

"I'd say at least half, I mean you couldn't have survived out there for too long without firing something at one of those creatures." K-Mart responded as Angela nodded in agreement.

"Okay, so we need to get the children down below decks." Claire replied as she came and stood beside Alice, her eyes moving to her's, quickly knowing that she should have said a bit more of what happened and is refusing to do so at the moment.

"I'll sound the alarm." Luther replied as he got up from his seat, everyone following suit.

"Alarm?" Alice questioned.

"Claire had instated a protocol while you were gone for when Umbrella attacked." Jill explained as she shifted her eyes to the red-head giving her a chance to explain, but she remained silent. "The people on this ship know what they need to do; we've done two drills in the past month." She finished breaking her eyes from Claire noticing she was not herself.

"What exactly is this plan?"

"The children and designated adults go to the cargo hold where there is a supply of food and water along with blankets that can last them for at least four days if something serious were to happen. The cargo hold is then sealed after ten minutes of the alarm going off from up here at the bridge by Angie, locking them in until the all clear is given. I, myself am to be down in the armory with Chris distributing guns and ammo to those that need them while Claire and Luther go up on deck and be look outs until myself, Angela and Chris have joined them outside, weapons ready. Along with every other man or woman on this ship that is armed in awaiting attack,"

"K-Mart, what is your role in all of this?" Alice asked the bubbly blonde.

"I have the role of watching the navigation equipment on the bridge and alerting team leader, which is Claire of how far Umbrella is from this ship. Once I have done so, I lock myself in the bridge with my weapon and await further instruction." K-Mart explains happily.

"It seems you have this all planned out quite well." Alice looked at Claire and could see the tinge of red sweeping over her cheeks from embarrassment. "I will go out to the decks with Claire and Luther and wait for the rest of them to join us armed. Jill you and Chris bee line it to the armory now, Luther wait five minutes then sound the alarm." Alice instructed.

"Got it," Luther stated as he pulled out his own pistol from his waist band, eager to kill some zombies.

"Angela, I want you to stay here with K-Mart and await further instructions from us." Alice stated catching the scowl from the young teen, "Don't give me that look Angie, you need to listen to me, this is not a drill." She stated as the young teen huffed and then sunk back in her chair.

"Hey, be easy on her okay." Jill stated as she passed Alice heading for the bridge door, "Be careful out there Alice. We'll see you top side in fifteen." She stated and slammed the door shut behind her.

"Claire, we need to get our weapons from your stateroom and head topside, Luther see you in five minutes and girls." Alice stared at the two teens. "Please, do as you are told okay?"

"We will stay here for as long as you need us too Alice." K-Mart replied as she went and grabbed the two assault rifles that were hidden in the coat closet off to the right hand side of the bridge handing one to Angie.

"Good, I don't want to lose anymore of my family."

With that Alice and Claire left the bridge and headed back to Claire's cabin. "You really came up with a plan if I didn't return?" Alice asked breaking the silent between the two of them.

"Yes." Claire whispered, "I-I didn't think I would ever see you again and I needed to protect these people, they depend on me for their survival."

"I'm glad you ready for the worst Claire, I knew you always had the fight in you."

"Did I let you down?" Claire asked pushing open her stateroom door as she felt Alice grab her hand and pull her back in towards her.

"Stop. Why would you ever think that?" Alice stated in anger. "You've made me so proud. It was wrong of me to leave, especially the way I did, but it was right of you to prepare for something that could have happened with or without me returning. Now with this plan and these people being more prepared than I was expecting we can do this, I promise." Alice then kissed her on the lips knowing that this is exactly the woman she wanted to defend. This is who she wanted to fight side by side with and the one woman she would do anything for.

Claire tried to fight the urge she had in her to not succumb to Alice's seductive ploy but it was useless. She wanted this woman, and this woman wanted her; there was no questioning that. However, a lot has changed aboard the Arcadia that Alice is not aware of and there is still the lingering elephant in the room of where exactly Alice was and what exactly she was doing these past thirty-six days. For the moment however, before they were bearing arms and preparing for possibly the last fight of their lives Claire was infatuated with Alice and nothing was going to tear her away from her grasp ever again.

The sound of the alarm echoing down the halls broke them out of their trance. It was time to go to war.

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T.B.C...and please R/R if you feel the urge to do so...plus! I am always open to ideas/ thoughts and predictions!

B


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note:** Another Alice and Claire fluff for my readers and reviewers to enjoy. I know it has been awhile since I have posted on here but I have some ideas flowing and I also recently made some minor changes to "Secret & Flies" in which I am planning on a sequel now that I re-read what I wrote and noticed I left some cliff hangers...

I do not own the characters but a girl can always dream…

**** UPDATE **  
**

**Alright my little ones...I have decided to post another chapter, it might not be what you've been anticipating, but it will have to do for now. I am in the midst of cleaning up some other stories I've posted on here, so forgive me if I am a bit slow on the upkeep. I promise you, I haven't forgotten about this story...how could I ever forget about my loyal readers & reviewers!  
**

**Enjoy!**

**BoOkwOrM-gUrl**

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**Chapter Four  
**

**Thirty-six days ago**

The last place Alice Abernathy would have ever pictured herself going to was back into the belly of the beast. She had vowed to avenge herself, those in Raccoon City and The Hive, destroying Umbrella and their corporate hold they had upon what remained of the world. She was no idiot, they were powerful, threatening and deadly towards not only the human race but, even the undead. There style was ruthless, destructive and inhumane and Alice wanted nothing to do with it. After what they did to her, using her body as a pin cushion, injecting her with the T-Virus, it was beyond words. It made her sick to her stomach the tests she was put through, the challenges she had to face and the people she had killed. If it were up to her she would have nothing to do with Umbrella, would wash her hands free of them, but how could she when it was their blood that stained them every time she killed one of the infected...

Now, knowing that Umbrella was after her, there precious _Project Alice_ who was no longer a bio weapon, she needed to retaliate. That was why she had to do it in secret, take the other small dingy aboard the _Arcadia _and slip out under the cover of darkness. She took her trusted sawed off shotguns filled with her buck shots of quarters, her two swords that were rusted with blood and a small backpack, carrying on the essentials. She covered her face with the same mask from out in the Nevada Dessert, pulling up the hood of her jacket and slipped in and out of the shadows aboard the vessel. Alice hated having to leave, hated abandoning the people she now considered to be her _family_. The worst was Claire, her love, her rock in all of this. She had betrayed her trust, sneaking off in the middle of the night, breaking free of the chains from this vessel and diving head first into hell, without someone there to pull her back.

That was what motivated Alice the most, knowing that where she was going, why she was leaving, it was all to protect Claire. If she stayed any longer it would only be a matter of time before Umbrella would find this ship, their own vessel even, and attack. This time, taking no survivors. They're hunt for the cure has long since past, all that mattered was exterminating any resistance with a new batch of bio weapons. Each one larger, scarier and deadlier than the next. If Alice was going to end this she needed to meet her maker one last time...

_**Seventeen days ago**  
_

Moscow, Russia. A frozen tundra of nothing but ice and snow. The streets were deserted, houses abandoned and dead bodies rotting to nothing more than bones. The undead had picked the city clean, just like they did every other city in the world, never stopping, never resting, never ending. Alice walked down the middle of a deserted road, cars zig zagging across the street, some caught on fire, others with windows smashed and skinless bodies strapped inside. The wind howled as if it were a wolf tilting its head up to the moon as snow dusted the ground, swiftly sweeping across Alice's commando boots. It was dark, the sky as black as ink, the moon full and bright. She kept her eyes peeled, scanning the street from left to right, her shotgun poised against her shoulder, ready to fire at will. This was where Umbrella's last stand was holding, this was where she was going to get what she needed to defeat the bastards once and for all.

She passed the Kremlin as it towered over the right hand side of the city block. It's lights still on, the only bright spot in Moscow now. It used to be a building of up most security, impenetrable and kept under wraps, even from most of it's own employees. Now it was abandoned, a ghost town where only the countries secrets kept under lock and key remained. That was, except for Umbrella. Being the corporate enterprise it was, they built a station beneath the Kremlin, just like The Hive in Raccoon City. They called this one "The Tomb" which seemed fitting since, like The Hive, it also dabbled in experimental research and nuclear weapons. This was her destination, and she was going to make sure she got what she came for.

_**Twelve days ago**  
_

Speeding down the autobahn highway outside Berlin Germany Alice's hair whipped in the wind. Her back was arched, riding a sleek, silver BMW motorbike down the desolate road going almost two hundred miles an hour. Cars were ditched along the side as she bobbed and weaved between them, checking over her shoulder every few moments. The beast was still on her tale, a licker about twenty times the size of those she remembered in Raccoon City shook the earth behind her. His muscular form leaping as it's claws dug into the asphalt, taking chunks the size of a car out of the earth. His tongue, long and razor edged swung freely in the air as it's nose was locked on Alice's 'come get me' scent. She pulled the clutch, revving the engine to speed up, hoping to out run the beast.

Alice was not at all surprised, she did steal something of great importance back in Moscow. The Tomb, which was located almost one hundred feet under the frozen earth was heavily guarded as to be expected. That however, did not stop Alice from kicking, punching and shooting her way through the Umbrella guards, dressed slick in black. She made her way to the research labs, seeing that all other personnel were either dead or had the intelligence to leave when shit hit the fan. She dodged bullets, sliding across slick floors and weaved down corridors until she found the room she wanted. Alice locked herself inside the bullet proof glass lab as metallic 'ting, ting, ting' could be heard moments later, bouncing off the glass. She smiled and began to work the computers, firing up the different stages of the lab, her prize was almost within arms reach. Alice went into the decontamination chamber, the strong air blowing over her body as it gave her the all clear to step into the staging area where she put on thick, black rubber gloves, not bothering with the mask or goggles, she didn't have time. Cautiously she approached the stand in the middle of the room, glowing like a spot light on an actor on stage. Laying before her was what she wanted but also hated. A blue syringe full of the T-virus lay to the right while a green syringe of the Anti virus lay beside it. The last two of their kind Umbrella had in their possession.

She wasted no time, knowing the guards or computer system would eventually figure out her bypasses and be on her once more. Alice rolled up her left sleeve, tapping the skin to allow a vein to pop to the surface. She grabbed the blue syringe, closing her eyes as she dug the needle into her skin, pressing the trigger. In a moment she released the virus into her blood stream once again. Alice screamed, collapsing on the ground as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her body beginning to convulse as the T-virus once again took hold of her body, molding to her cellular structure. After bursts of colour, flashes of memories from before, Dr. Issac's, Matt, the Red Queen danced across her eyes the pain finally began to subside. When she opened her blue eyes once more, gasping for air, the Umbrella logo flashed for a moment before they returned to their ocean shade. Project Alice was back, and ready for vengeance...

_**Five days ago**  
_

The side effects of the T-virus were now in full swing. She finally had all of her powers restored, her super human strength, ability to heal faster and move quick like a fox. She tried to fight the control of Umbrella, knowing that her telekinetic powers would send signals to Wesker and his men, allowing them to track her movements. Alice had no intention of going back to the _Arcadia_, she knew everyone there would be safer the more distance she put between them but, it was proving difficult. Her mind, when she did sleep, was clouded with nightmares of Claire. Alice would watch in horror as she got ripped apart by the infected, as Wesker make her into another drone with another Medusa bug. Red coloured her dreams, and screams of terror and agony filled her ears. Alice would awaken, panting, drenched in a cold sweat. She knew they were just dreams, but she also knew the lengths Umbrella would go. She was careful, the last run in with anything Umbrella related being over eight days ago in Berlin. It seems their satellites are down, not tracking her from the sky and now she was back in Mexico, far away from Europe or that god awful licker.

Alice laid low, killing the infected, but abstaining from using her powers, not wanting to draw attention to herself. After three days of this she believed it was safe to venture back to her people, to be back with Claire. She had not seen another 'living' person since coming to Mexico City. Only those undead searching for brains to chow down on shuffled and moaned in the streets. It was actually quite sad, knowing that what was probably left of the human race and not Umbrella minions, was aboard the _Arcadia_. Those thoughts alone were enough of a reason for Alice to find a plane and begin to fly south along the coast, searching for her _home_...

**_Two days ago_**

Alice crept back up onto the deck of the _Arcadia_, tying her small dingy she was able to find after landing her plane in a coastal village in Brazil, securely to the ships anchor. Chris would be proud, she owed him a dingy, well two actually if she counted the one that exploded during her and Claire's first date. It was dark once more, clouds dotting the sky in a grey mist, hiding the moon. Dressed in the same clothes she had on when she left thirty-four days ago, Alice made her way once more through the shadows. She slipped down the hall heading towards Claire's cabin, feeling her heart begin to race, her breathing becoming shallow and rasp. Alice was nervous, not knowing what to expect when she enters that room. For all she knew Claire could be up at the bridge or off doing an errand on the ship. All she prayed for was that her love was still alive, and still wanted to be with her.

She could hear water running from the bathroom, seeing a cast of the light creep under the door. Alice waited a moment, her hand hovering over the door to Claire's cabin as she waited for the light to turn off. When she saw it go out Alice quietly opened the door wide enough for her to slip her slim frame inside, closing it gently behind her. Alice could make out Claire's slender frame, her back was to the door, standing close to the edge of her bed. She wanted to approach her, but that was when she heard the familiar sound of the safety being released. Claire called out into the room, knowing she was no longer alone and Alice ached to answer, but Claire did not give her a chance before she swung around, aiming the pistol at her lover's chest.

In that same moment Alice turned on the bedside lamp, able to look into Claire's dark eyes once more and know she had made the right decision to return. These people needed her, but above all, Alice needed Claire. If she was going to defeat the Umbrella resistance that would be rearing it's ugly face in no more than two days time _Project Alice_ needed all the help and support she could get.

* * *

T.B.C

** I promise, soon you will get your Umbrella battle, just working out some adjustments in my head. Please let me know what you think of Alice's last thirty-six days, and don't worry, I haven't finished with that yet either! Please R/R as usual, if you feel the need arise! **

B.


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